Mycobacterium tuberculosis and macrophages: who is the boss?

M. tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, has persisted in the human population despite decades of intervention strategies. While our knowledge about the pathogen and the disease process it causes have grown substantially over the years, we are still grappling with devising strategies for its control. This article attempts to understand the infection biology of M. tuberculosis and the importance of foamy macrophages in the entire disease process. It also highlights the diverse virulence properties displayed by the M. tuberculosis secretory protein, ESAT-6 and touches upon the problem of drug resistance in tuberculosis and the various approaches being employed to deal with it.